The ‘Media Circus’ of Occupy Wall Street Coverage

With the protests surging and an estimated 10,000 people gathering in New York City last weekend and thousands more in cities around the world, commentators and reporters continue to delegitimize the movement. For example, Sunday’s Washington Post buried the story about the mass protests in a one-column-inch slot in the right-hand corner of the front page. The story continued on page A20, complete with a leading image of a protester torching a car — rather than one of the thousands of images of peaceful demonstrations that took place all over the globe.

It’s also allowed us to see who is doing the best reporting. Public media reporters like Farley, independent journalists like Kilkenny and local citizen journalism projects like The Uptake have been stepping in and filling the void, providing a voice for the folks on the streets. Rather than simply sending a reporter to Zuccotti Park for a few short interviews and base descriptions, these reporters and outlets are spending hours among the protesters to learn who they really are, and what they’re really demanding. Take Amy Goodman from Democracy Now!, which broadcast its entire show from New York City last Tuesday.

Instead of whitewashing the protests under a neatly spun narrative, many of these outlets are doing the legwork to help the public understand our financial system and how this movement has sprung up. Participants in Zuccotti Park have set up an independent media center to amplify their voices to the world. And social media is helping people share and view images, video and testimony that aren’t available on mainstream media. Free from corporate control, these outlets are reporting on this movement without anyone pulling the strings — or moving the mouths — behind the curtains.

We need more of us CARE2 people e-mailing their friends about OWS. I take it most of us are more or less moderate/liberal and have a wide range of like minded friends. They know us, if we speak our truth to them about OWS in our hometowns, etc it will have a ripple effect. Just today, I got an e-mail from a friend who didn't know OWS was about. Good opportunity to send her some links about it. We can set an example.

I applaud these people. Already, without leaders, platforms, etc. they have forced the media and politicians to at least pretend they care about people, fairness, and jobs. I hope they can sustain themselves through the 2012 election. They are providing some small barrier against the tsunami of untraceable money.

OWS has not been co-opted by Obama (though he's trying), nor the Dimocrats (though they are trying). There is just as much criticism of Obama at OWS as of the Repiglicans. This is a truly independent, truly democratic movement.

I'm not at all surprised that mainstream media hasn't a clue. Mainstream media has been clueless for years; all they ever do is read the handouts given them by corporations and their corporate spinmasters. All you have to do is look at the way they handled the BP/Halliburton oil blowout in the Gulf to see that in action.

Amen! If people want to know what's going on in this movement they have few choices, but one is Keith Olbermann on Current TV. He has kept up with what is going on and has interviewed a number of participants. Check it out if you can.

NOTICE: A GENERAL STRIKE HAS BEEN CALLED FOR FOR THIS FRI., the 28TH!!!!! Now its time to ratchet things up! Don't go to work, unplug everything, spend time with yourself and your family (including the furry ones), love, meditate, laugh, sing, dance, dream, be and WITHDRAW YOUR participation in a system that is unfixable.

It's obvious,Mike C.,that the media coverage has you concerned about what Occupy is and what it isn't. It ISN'T part of or run by the Obama campaign.Nor is it run by the Democratic Party.One of the things many of us with Occupy are upset about is all the corporate campaign money infecting our politics across the board,and we're especially steamed about how the US Supreme Court worsened that with it's Citizens United ruling.One thing I'd like to see come out of this,looking to 2014-'16,is a completely new political alignment that relies on these people to people efforts as the only way around all that money. In the mean time I sure don't see the Republicans as a suitable choice for '12 .

And you ,Robin B.,are like the Sgt. Schultz character from the old "Hogan's Heroes" show when it comes to the Occupy protests: you KNOW NOTHING! The ones I've been to have not in any manner been drug or alcohol parties.If you've got a brain and choose to use it,it would be obvious that that's the last thing that's going to happen with all the cops present.And if what we're doing is allowing some homeless people a little extra food,GOOD! I'm glad SOMEONE is on their side! On the other hand,Robin B.,the first place for someone to get harrassed for trying to sleep-especially at night-is at a Occupy protest.